The Dark Lord's Blessing
by Krista Snape
Summary: Daughter of a Death Eater, Marked to be Voldemorts unwilling Servant, Can Krista overcome the Evil inside?
1. Welcome to Snape Manor

disclaimer: KRISTA IS MINE!!!! YOU HEAR ME??? MINE!!!! YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!!!!!....as for everyone else...well.....they're not....um...they're the genius of J.K. Rowling....I wish I could claim credit for Severus...but I can't.....I could never come up with so mysterious a character, from which we have absolutely no insight about him...the man, that is Severus Snape. Anyhoo....Saerry Snape doesn't belong to me either.....she's the Genius of Megahn W. / AKA Saerry Snape. anyway...onto the madness that is my writings.  
  
The Jet Lowered closer and closer to the ground in the dark Forrest, a large area was cleared out for this purpose, as well as serving as the front grounds to the huge Dark Manor that stood at the edge of the clearing. Krista Looked out the window and shuddered at the grounds. Dead trees? Rocks? although the house was magnificent, the grounds were leaving much to be desired. Krista resolved to make something, anything grow while she was at the Manor over break. The natural gardener in here was already pruning rosebushes that would be placed near the entrance... "Princess? we've arrived." Kurt Greer, one of the men hired to see her to the manor suddenly pulled her back into reality. Greer was a Short man, barely taller then Krista, but had a build powerful enough to match the action hero's in the movies. The young Princess took to her Feet silently; her long black hair hanging limply, she was going to need to wash it soon. if she didn't wash it at least twice a day, it became as oily and greasy as a fast food restaurant. Her hair was one of the few things she'd inherited from her father. other then that, she had a small nose, medium thickness of lips, and piercing blue eyes that always seemed to find the truth. It was her Father who she was coming to visit. as she began to walk towards the exit of the Jet, her left hand automatically clasped around the small Silver family crest that hung gracefully on a delicate silver chain around her neck. Calmly stepping from the Jet, she looked around and wondered how the forest could be so dark, and yet the sun continued to blind her. A few meters away, her father stood silently, his black eyes glittering joyfully, Thin lips curled into a smile that had a weird smirk-snarl-Elvis look to them, as if a smile wasn't a normal thing for him. He wore black...robes? Krista didn't know much about her father, but Robes that made him look as though he was some form of Medieval wizard? the name Merlin suddenly shot through her mind, and she decided to call him this a littler later. When she'd come within five feet of her father, she curtsied gracefully. "Hallo Vater" Greeting him in German, even though she knew he didn't speak any. Her father smirked, as though knowing exactly what she'd said. maybe he did speak a little German. "Hello Princess" he bowed a little. Then he motioned towards the house. "Welcome to Snape Manor." "Danke." she smiled, noticing watching countless men (including Greer) carried her Suitcases into the manor. a butler of sorts was showing them to where her room was. "My my princess, You'll be here for only two months, do you really think it important to bring half the palace?" "I'm not the one who packed all these" Krista motioned towards three men who were carrying a suitcase that contained books. "the servants did. I packed that one" she pointed towards a large duffle bag that seemed to be a little heavy, as two men each carried an end. "what, is in that one?" Snape asked, referring to the duffle bag. "the necessities, boots, guns, gunbelt, ammo, my jacket, work-out gloves, and my backpack" "The divine backpack?" Snape questioned "none other." Krista smirked, the same smirk that Snape constantly used. "Then your reputation precedes you." Snape matched the Smirk. "I've heard much about your adventurous nature and that backpack" "It's Loyal" Krista replied, her smirk bursting into a smile. "Then perhaps you'd be interested in exploring these woods" Snape motioned towards the forrest. "as a child, I found many entrances to caves, with intricate carvings on them. however, I was never the...ah...adventurous one. so I've never explored them." Kristas eyes lit up at the prospect. "how many caves?" "Countless" Snape replied, smirking. he could see that the adventuress in Krista was about to bolt off into the woods...somehow she managed to contain herself and straightened up, clearing her throat. "well, I'll make sure to check those caves out later" she suddenly became proper again as the group of men fell into a sort of parade rest. the one in the front waited for Krista to Recognize him. "Yes, Greer?" Krista asked. "Princess, the luggage has been unloaded. shall we unpack it for you?" "no" she waved her hand dismissivly. "I shall" "Then...we shall be off?" Greer pressed. "Yes. Go." Krista replied. the men quickly returned to the jet which soon took off. "Shall we enter the manor?" Snape asked calmly. before he could move, Krista threw her arms around him in a powerful hug that seemed impossible for such a small built girl. although she was14, she looked closer to 9. he was shocked....he hadn't been this close to his daughter since she was a baby. come to think of it...he realized; he hadn't been this close to another human being since he last held his child. he returned the hug, and kissed the top of her head. and as they entered the Manor, summer break truly began. 


	2. Adventuress in Action

"Breakfast is at 7:30. Lunch at 12:00, and Dinner at 6:00." Snape began. "each meal is announced by a house...servant."  
  
"Jawohl" Krista replied, looking around.  
  
"I hope..." Snape began, knowing his choice of words would either spark an interest, or seem bland. "That you would remain out of the...basement. it is certainly not a place for a Princess."  
  
he'd done it. the familiar spark of his daughters adventurous spirit burst into flame, dancing in her eyes.  
  
"Vater, Mutti said there was something of great interest you wished to speak with me about?" Krista switched topics immediately. ~let him think I wont go to the basement~ she thought.  
  
"we shall discuss it at dinner. Now; I believe you have some unpacking to do?"  
  
Krista nodded, curtsied once more, then raced up the stairs to her room.  
  
It was a huge room, bright and breathtaking with a fantastic view of the lake behind the manor. ~fit for a Princess~ she sighed, taking a seat on her bed.  
  
Truth was, Krista hated being a Princess. it was that stupid title that forced Krista and her father to be so distant all these years. since she was a tiny child, she always dreamed of leaping into her fathers arms, cuddling up in her fathers embrace, and falling into a gentle comforted sleep. Instead, she was raised with the Proper etiquette of a German Princess.  
  
Silently she unzipped her duffle bag and pulled out her famed backpack.  
  
at the palace in Germany, they called it 'the divine backpack.' a small pack, more of a purse in size then a backpack; that had accompanied Krista on more adventures then she could count.  
  
Silently she placed the pack on her back, then reached back into the suitcase.  
  
the next thing to emerge, was her two guns, tucked safely in a gun belt with a huge square buckle. she clicked the belt around her waist, then reached back into the bag.  
  
this time a pair of boots emerged, shiny, black parajumper boots with zip- up sides. she changed to them from the designer boots she'd been wearing, and dove back into the bag.  
  
now a pair of half-fingered gloves appeared, and quickly took their places on her hands.  
  
Finally with a flourish, she pulled her hair into a pony tail and looked into the mirror.  
  
along with what she'd just added, she wore a blue belly shirt with long sleeves that flared at the end, deep blue flare jeans that laced up on the sides, a thick fabric banded watch, on her left wrist, and of course, the delicate necklace around her neck.  
  
looking into the Mirror, she noticed how much she looked like the famous adventuress, Lara Croft.  
  
~hell.~ she thought, looking in the mirror. ~i'm in Britain, why not?~  
  
So with her best 'try it and die' facial expression, she drew both Pistols, and smirked at the Mirror.  
  
"My name." she began, her voice dripping with a perfect British accent. "Is Croft. Lara Croft."  
  
She suppressed a grin, and replaced the pistols. then she left the room silently.  
  
~objective one~ she thought, walking down the halls, looking in each door. ~determine Fathers Location~ she checked each room silently, finally finding him in the library, pouring over a huge book. ~good~ She thought, sweeping off down the hall silently. ~keep reading...now. For that basement~  
  
She found the door after a few minutes, and silently descended the dust covered steps, careful not the slip. the steps were made of stone narrow, and spiraling.  
  
at the bottom of the steps, she heard a creaking sound from farther on. in a flash her guns were both in her hands, as if they'd magically appeared there.  
  
Eyes scanning the area, she considered for a moment going back. but then the urge was squashed by the famous 'desire for truth'.  
  
The basement turned into a giant maze, which suited Krista just fine, as she lived for adventure.  
  
the deeper into the corridors she went, the darker the area became. it wasn't long before her left gun was switched for her purple pen-light.  
  
She'd gone through about half of the dark corridors when she noticed a strange crack on a floor. kneeling down, she holstered the other gun and wiped the dust away. the crack soon turned into a 90degree angle, which turned into two attached 90 degree angles, then into a perfect square.  
  
"Hm...a trapdoor, Herr Vatti?" she whispered, highly intrigued now. she pulled the trapdoor open and looked down. golden light shot up from the room, almost blinding her from the sharp contrast she'd been in.  
  
she saw the floor seemed pretty safe below, and not a long drop, maybe 7 to 9 feet. she carefully jumped down and looked around the room.  
  
the walls were of stone, but lined with wooden shelves. the shelves contained seemingly thousands of bottles, vials and flasks, containing all sorts of colorful liquids, powders, and things Krista couldn't identify.  
  
she looked to the center of a room, where a large cauldron sat. several smaller cauldrons sat nearby.  
  
a fire raged at one end in a small fireplace, and standing next to the fireplace, Her father?  
  
"Five minutes from bedroom to here. Impressive. I figured you'd do some unpacking first." her father smirked, firelight dancing over him. "your reputation suggested you're quite the adventuress. but I didn't know you were this good."  
  
"I have a strange desire to know the truth" she smiled, still looking around the room. "telling me not to go somewhere is like holding up a sign that says -WALK IN! COME ON! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!-" she paused for a moment. "and the reason for this room?"  
  
"Chemistry" Snape waved his hand dismissivly. "you know I teach Chemistry."  
  
"Ach...and the Cauldrons?"  
  
"Frequently the chemicals are rather dangerous. the cauldrons are the strongest pot I could find, they don't melt....often."  
  
"Ach so." Krista replied, narrowing her eyes in a way that showed she knew he wasn't telling her the whole truth.  
  
then she saw a vial of a purple liquid. cautiously, she holstered a pistol and looked at the vial. "this looks like Sturz." she observed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sturz?" Snape asked, as Krista turned the vial over and gazed through it at the firelight.  
  
"a concentrated Sleep-aid, Tranquilizer with wormwood root, causing immediate sleep, while in the stupor its a sort of truth elixir. it also causes a memory wipe, which allows the administrator of the elixir to, shall we say edit the memory for up to twenty minutes before the elixir was administered."  
  
"actually, That's exactly what that is." Snape smirked. "only I call it downfall."  
  
"which is what Sturz translates to." Krista retorted ,looking at the other liquids.  
  
"Come." He suddenly ushered her towards the ladder from the room. "it must be nearly dinner. and you're still not unpacked."  
  
Bewildered, Krista climbed the ladder and allowed Snape to pull her back to the main hall.  
  
"now, Princess or not, go upstairs and unpack your things." he demanded, then swept from the hall.  
  
Once upstairs, she stared amazed at the room. all of the suitcases were gone, and all of her clothing, books and whatever else, was arranged neatly in the room, although all of the drawers, cabinets and closets were open so she could see what was in each of them.  
  
"Erm..." Krista mumbled, looking around the room. there was no way... she'd only been gone for ten minutes! for the amount of crap the servants had packed, she would've been here for at least three hours unpacking.  
  
suddenly a squeak and a scratching sound came from a part of the room over by the grand window. Krista walked over to the window, drew her right hand pistol, and pulled back the curtain, eyes wide.  
  
and screamed.  
  
the creature, whatever it was, screamed too. it appeared to be female, with huge saucer eyes. the nose reminded Krista of A puppet, and it wore a pillowcase for clothing, the Snape family crest dead center.  
  
Krista stopped screaming after the initial surprise. now her pistol was trained directly between the plate sized eyes. "what are you?" she demanded.  
  
"I is a Dawn Mistress! Dawn is a House-elf!" she wailed, as freaked as Krista felt.  
  
"what are you doing in my room?" Krista Pressed.  
  
"Dawn is wanting to unpack the mistress's things! then Dawn is wanting to announce Dinner!"  
  
"wait." Krista suddenly rose the gun sideways to show she was holding up her hand in the 'stop' motion. "so you're a...Servant?"  
  
"Yes Mistress! Dawn has been serving Master Snape all of Dawns life! as Dawns mother did, and Dawns mothers mother, and Dawns mothers mothers mother!"  
  
"okay. I get the point. are you the only...ah...house elf here?"  
  
"No! of course not! the Snape Masters have many House elves! house elves to clean, and to cook...and some house elves just to clean up Master Snape's messes! Dawn has heard that Arkie is happy now that he has those two extra arms, Arkie says he is able to clean more!"  
  
Krista stared at the elf, confused. "potions? you mean his chemicals?"  
  
"Yes, the master makes many Potions! and you is his daughter! do you make potions as well also?"  
  
"ahh, I suppose. I took chemistry in school." Krista shrugged.  
  
suddenly the house-elf gasped, her huge eyes looking at a clock behind Krista. "OH NO! is past six! Mistress must get to dinner, or the Master will be mad at Dawn!" she pulled Krista towards the door, grabbing Krista by her pistol. "I'm coming." Krista yanked out of the elves grasp, not deciding weither or not she trusted this creature. she returned the pistol to it's holster but kept her hands over the guns, ready to draw them In case this elf decided to attack.  
  
she followed the elf down to the dining hall, and looked at her father, who watched expectantly.  
  
"what, was that all about?" Krista asked as the Elf scampered over to Snape. "and why do you have...elves in your house?"  
  
"Is the master wanting anything of Dawn?" Dawn asked, huge eyes glowing in reverence to Snape.  
  
"I assure you, they are quite tame." Snape replied, waving Dawn away. then suddenly he looked at dawn. "Wait. Dawn come here."  
  
immediately the elf was back at his side. "If we are interrupted at any time this evening; I will see to it that the lot of you are put through the most painful curse imaginable." he Snarled. "make sure that all of your...friends understand this. I do not want to see ANYONE except my daughter."  
  
"Yes Master! Dawn will informing other house-elves!" Dawn squeaked, then zipped out of the room.  
  
"So. Now that you know I have elves living in my house, are you ready to hear the rest of it?" Snape began calmly. "Or would that be too much for one night?"  
  
his natural talent of using words that bite Insulted Krista. as if she couldn't handle the truth?  
  
"I can Handle anything you can throw at me." She smirked at her father.  
  
"I don't know if you can handle everything I'm about to throw." Snape quickly retorted.  
  
"If I can't. I'll tell you to stop." she stated plainly. "Now, until that moment, continue." 


	3. The Truth Comes out

Krista swallowed. for not swallowing anything, it was hard to swallow. her food barely touched, she ignored the plate and unaware of it, rubbed her right thumb against her right pinkie joint. something she did when deep in thought.  
  
Her father had begun the story simple enough, going back to the cauldrons to fully explain them. he'd known when he told her that she didn't believe him. but he'd wanted to wait until dinner to tell her everything.  
  
~Everything.~ she thought cautiously as she listened to him speak. ~that word has suddenly grown. it's as if the word has suddenly become a new universe.~  
  
and truly, to Krista, it had. she'd had no idea about a real wizarding world, she'd met a couple evil wizards during her travels, but she had dismissed it with the attitude that they were a severe rarity.  
  
her father spoke of some of his associates during the explanation, some guy named Albus, another Named Voldemort. he mentioned an 'insufferable know-it- all' by the name of Hermione Granger, and a 'stupid excuse for a boy' by the name of neville Longbottom. he also mentioned an 'red-haired Moron that thinks he's Arnold Schwartzenegger' named Ron Weasley, and his personal favorite person to thrash, was the 'scar-faced thrice damned arse who had no concern for things such as rules, as they were below him', a boy by the name of Harry Potter; all of whom had just finished their First year at the school he taught. which left a question in her mind she resolved to ask later.  
  
her mind drank in the information.  
  
~evil guys...yeah. Death eaters. okay...mental note, stay away from them. Voldemort. bad news...mental note...kill him if you see him. harry potter, idiot....turn into bowl of generic lime green jello if you ever learn how.~  
  
after what seemed moments, but what had become hours, Snape finished speaking, and just looked at his Daughter.  
  
"Too much?" he asked.  
  
"I must admit." came the cultured German accent. "I've seen some amazing things...but half a world full of Wizards and witches? it sounds so...Insane."  
  
"In a way, yes. I suppose it is." her father stated, standing up from the table and motioning for Krista to follow him. "But I assure you, it isn't completely insane."  
  
"your teaching job, then?" she decided now was as good of time as any to press him for the answer to this question.  
  
"I am the Potions master at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." came his simple reply.  
  
"I see." Krista returned, her voice silky smooth, but barely above a whisper. "so why am I being told all of this now?"  
  
"The truth is a Tricky animal to hunt." her father began. "I believe that is your...ah...catch phrase? you have to be prepared for it, or else you wouldn't understand it."  
  
"which is why you wanted me in my room, so the....house elf? could call me."  
  
"Exactly. If I simply told you, without proving any of my statements, you'd hate me and think me either insane, or a liar."  
  
"But." Krista pressed on "There's a reason you waited until now, without waiting longer"  
  
"nothing escapes you; does it?" he asked seriously.  
  
"I have to see all the facts before I decide on what the truth is."  
  
"very true." he replied. "I waited until today, well, because you're of age."  
  
"Of age?"  
  
"Yes, to attend Secondary school. I sent an application to Hexen; you've been accepted there, if that is...where you would like to attend."  
  
"what is Hexen?" Krista continued asking. he was just full of statements that caused for questions.  
  
"A very selective school of sorcery. it admits very few students, to allow 100% participation in class."  
  
"what's the difference between wizardry and sorcery?" Krista asked.  
  
"Sorcery is the most powerful of Magic. although most sorcerers practice the dark arts, I will highly recommend that you do not." He put heavy emphasis on the last two words, making sure they broke the language barrier, if there was one.  
  
"how do you know I'm a sorceress? how could you tell if I was one?" she pressed.  
  
"at first I was skeptical." Snape began "until I noticed a few things"  
  
by now they were standing in the main hall, a few feet from the Main Entrance.  
  
"such as?"  
  
Snape suddenly moved to the main entrance and threw open the doors. gesturing outside, Krista could see flowers Springing up from the dark ground.  
  
"also when you looked at the Sturz-as you call it, you didn't pick it up." he continued, shutting the door. "it flew into your hand."  
  
"How does that Make me a sorceress?"  
  
"well, it doesn't. alone, anyway. but combined with the, ah. other circumstances, the amount of magical blood in you." he tried to continue but it was near impossible to find the right words. "and...the Dark Lords Blessing."  
  
Krista's' eyes narrowed, and on Instinct she grabbed his left arm to keep him from walking any farther.  
  
"the dark Lords blessing?"  
  
"Follow me into the library." he pressed, trying to pull free.  
  
"how about not." she hissed. "Just tell me here."  
  
Snape sighed, and in a flash had her left arm at the wrist.  
  
he gently pulled up on her sleeve and pointed to the black mark on her arm.  
  
"That, is the Dark Lords Blessing" he stated, raising his right eyebrow the same way Krista did when she was proving a point.  
  
"Vater, it's only a mark."  
  
"No child. it's not simply a mark. it's a seal. of ownership." he sighed.  
  
"I am a princess." she hissed. "I belong to my country. Nothing more. no one more. no one less."  
  
"Fine." her father snapped, raising his own sleeve. a similar mark, only much large was on his arm. without a word he pressed the two marks together.  
  
Krista's' world seemed to dissolve around her, fading into a deep blue.  
  
a room of deep blue, as a matter of fact.  
  
A group of people, build and stature suggested the majority of them were male stood in a circle. they all wore black, with masks covering their faces.  
  
in the center of the circle was a sort of altar. a man, the only one without a mask, stood at the alter, obviously waiting for something.  
  
Suddenly another person appeared out of nowhere with a slight popping noise. he carried a bundle covered in black fabric.  
  
"what is the child's name?" the man asked, his eyes wild.  
  
"Krista Anja." the person carrying the bundle was her father. she knew it. the silky smooth voice was the same that had welcomed her to Snape manor, and who had sung her to sleep as an infant.  
  
"Give me the Child" the man Hissed seemingly more of a snake then a man.  
  
silently, her father handed the bundle over. the man quickly, and a little roughly considering the bundle had to be a newborn considering the size, removed the blankets.  
  
the baby...was almost hideous. not deformed...but premature. a little furry, with wafer thin ears. and Tiny! the child had to be severely premature...at least three months so. or so Krista deduced.  
  
"The doctors have declared she shall die?" the man hissed.  
  
"yes. she's too small. she doesn't stand a chance." came her fathers reply. "her heartbeat has stopped thrice already. they're recommending a Euthanasia."  
  
"Stupid Muggles." the man hissed, now seemingly even more snake then before.  
  
he laid the infant on the alter, and began to chant in a strange tongue Krista Didn't recognize or understand. She stepped up next to the hooded version of her father and watched.  
  
He, (the snake guy with wild eyes) began to chant louder and Faster now; ever louder and faster, until it became like rolls of thunder, causing the very earth to tremble.  
  
suddenly a long green...thing... shot from the mans chest, taking the form of a snake as it emerged. the mans arms wretched back, as though this were excruciating to him. the serpent looked around, not seeming to realize it wasn't a real snake, but rather a shadow of one.  
  
it turned and looked at the snake man, who was chanting louder and more powerful then ever. the snake nodded, as if understanding what the snake man wanted, then plunged into the tiny baby, causing her to glow a violent green color before the mark suddenly appeared on her arm.  
  
The baby, who'd been breathing rather sick and wet sounding, fell silent. the glowing ceased and the baby looked as though dead.  
  
"Master?" a trembling voice from the circle began. "is the child..."  
  
"SILENCE!" The man screamed, powerfully enough to rumble the ground.  
  
then silently, the child began to change. most of the fur vanished, the ears thickened and didn't seem plastered to her head anymore. soon she looked as any normal newborn should. Then, her breathing resumed almost silent. the wet sound was gone.  
  
The snake man picked up the child and looked at it. then he held it up as if to present it to the group.  
  
"This Child Cannot Die." he began, in the voice that chilled Krista to the core. "She will be the most obedient servant, and all of you will respect her when she comes of age. For she carries a third of my power within her."  
  
the hooded figures all dropped to their knees, as they realized the amount of pure power that was now shooting through the child's veins.  
  
her father stood behind the baby and snake-man, who quickly turned around and handed the child to her father.  
  
"watch over this child" he hissed, then looked deep into Snapes' eyes. "and raise her properly."  
  
with that the world suddenly began to swirl madly, and the manor reappeared.  
  
---- authors note: I liked this chapter, so for the most part I left it alone. just a few grammatical and spelling mistakes that needed to be fixed. other then that....it stayed the same. anyway, hope you liked this chapter....on to the next one! 


	4. A Rather Messy Trip

Krista was shaking with Rage as her father returned to view.  
  
"you...." she began, her voice quivering as though she was either going to cry or scream. she couldn't seem to find the right words. "you sacrificed me to that....thing you spent a half our telling me how evil he is?!" her eyes were cold as steel now, all joy and adventurous sparks gone. pure cold wrath emanated.  
  
"I wanted you to survive." Snape replied, avoiding the steel eyes.  
  
"I'm going out." Krista suddenly hissed, then performed a smart about-face and headed out the door.  
  
once outside, she pulled her half fingered gloves back on and pulled the pen-light from it's place in her gun belt.  
  
Realizing the moonlight would be enough once her eyes adjusted, she bolted off into the woods.  
  
~pure serinity~ Krista though as she moved branches aside to pass between two trees. something about hiking...about focusing completely on adventuring always put her at ease.  
  
She pressed on through the dark forest, wondering where each new turn would lead her.  
  
Suddenly the ground beneath her vanished and she was dropped into a deep hole, landing in a sloppy mess of dead leaves and mud; feeling both splatter all over her.  
  
she growled in anger. "GREAT!" she yelled. "I could handle the wizard mess! I could almost handle the whole satanic CRAP. but now I'm in a PIT and covered in SLOP!!!!"  
  
yelling had a good effect on her, it felt good to finally give some release to everything that had been bubbling up inside of her.  
  
but, that didn't get her out of the pit.  
  
She looked around, but the pit was far too dark to see anything.  
  
She pulled out her pen-light, but the slop had prohibited it's usage as well.  
  
"verdammt" she cursed; standing to her feet. or at least she tried to. the slimy mud squished under her and knocked her back onto her butt.  
  
Groaning in disgust, she slid herself through the mud over to where there was less slop, gritting her teeth at the feel of mud sliding up her pant legs and over her arms.  
  
Finally she could stand; and wary of the mud pile, began to feel her way around the pit, although her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see basically...nothing.  
  
it was the pitch black. the kind where you don't even know if you're standing on ground. the kind that makes your head spin because you don't know what's going on. each step is terrifying because you could fall into the deepest of pits...or you could be hanging by your toenails over a vat of boiling marmalade, and wouldn't know it because it was too dark.  
  
Krista began to curse not having a lighter in her pack, although what good a lighter would do when everything was either mud or soaked with mud didn't cross her mind.  
  
she found a doorway of sorts, a narrow tunnel.  
  
beginning down the dark tunnel, she crouched low to the ground and stretched her legs out wide with each step. she was instantly reminded of the way a spider moves.  
  
"Eurgh" she groaned, suddenly picturing the tunnel lined with billions of spiders.  
  
although there wasn't any evidence of such, her lack of sight made up for it easily and soon Krista was moving far too quickly to be safe...and was reminded of this as she took a simple step and suddenly there wasn't a ground to support her weight.  
  
she fell. and fell.  
  
the room she was falling into, although terrifying at the fact of that sudden stop at the end, was breathtaking. it was made of sheer walls of ice. with what looked to be a ...  
  
FWOMP.  
  
suddenly she was two lengths of herself in snow...soft powdery snow.  
  
covered in slick mud, and now surrounded by freezing snow. this day just kept getting better and better!  
  
she attempted to climb through the snow, but made very little progress. it took at least twenty minutes to reach the top.  
  
Finally at the top, she shivered suddenly and violently before climbing out, a labored task that took an easy ten minutes.  
  
"well" she whispered as she rolled sideways down the bit of hill of snow she was on, to keep from sinking down too far. "at least I can see in this room"  
  
the question wasn't what she could see, but rather, what couldn't she see. she lay shivering on a sheet of ice, as she struggled to catch her breath from the climb.  
  
"ice." she breathed, trying to grasp the situation. "why in the WORLD am I in a cave of ice?"  
  
groaning she pulled herself to her feet and looked at what she'd glimpsed during the fall.  
  
a castle. of ice?  
  
sweet.  
  
the adventuress in her took over again, and even though she was half- frozen, still covered in mud, although now the mud was covered in snow that was dyed a dingy brown from the mud, she was sure she looked like one of those snow-men when the ground wasn't frozen and there wasn't very much snow.  
  
she attempted to brush some of it off, but found that basically stupid. there was just too much of it to bother.  
  
pulling out her pistols just in case, she headed towards the castle.  
  
without warning, a large snow-tiger shot out from the entrance, headed straight for her, obviously pissed.  
  
she wanted to stand there and say something like "scheiße" or "crap" or ANYTHING. but instead she attempted to jump, on solid ice. her feet immediately slid out from under her and she hit the ice hard, pain shooting from her tailbone.  
  
taking careful aim at the tiger that was bearing down on her, she pulled the triggers on both guns.  
  
nothing.  
  
it was then that she realized the mud had jammed her pistols  
  
~you idiot~ she cussed at herself. ~why didn't you think of that?~  
  
she rolled just as the tiger was about to pounce, but it was needlessly.  
  
"HALT" the word rang throughout the cave. the Tiger obediently stopped moving, although the ice had other ideas, so it slid across the ice, turning a 180 as it did so.  
  
just then Krista saw where the voice had originated from. a tall male, accompanied by two tall females were emerging from the castle. by the look of them, you'd think they were in Miami. the girls both wore belly shirts and very short-shorts. the male wore shorts that came a little past his knees, and a tank-top under a billowing Hawaiian style shirt.  
  
"why have you come here?" the male demanded as they got closer to Krista; who suddenly realized how nasty she must look compared to their perfect looks.  
  
"I fell into a pit" she motioned where she'd fallen from. "then I fell in here."  
  
~oh that's great Krista~ the nasty little voice in the back of her head laughed. ~make them think not only are you disgusting, but you're a Klutz!~  
  
"you are from above ground?" the man asked.  
  
"Yes, of course." she replied, picking a leaf from her boots. "where am I?"  
  
"the Kingdom of Ice."  
  
~gee, what a revelation. what are you going to tell me next? that this kingdoms underground? way to state the obvious~ the nasty voice laughed.  
  
"you should return to your place." one of the girls suddenly stated, obviously not liking the way the guy was spending too much time goggling at Krista.  
  
of course, she couldn't blame him....if she'd seen herself right now, she'd probably stare too. she had wild mental images of a leaf sticking straight up out of her head, her hair stringy with mud and covered in white snow, and she KNEW she had a patch of mud on her nose. she couldn't blame anyone for staring at her.  
  
"Yes." she suddenly stated. "I should."  
  
"Perhaps you should Get cleaned up first." the man said Gently, as though not sure if Krista wanted to be hideously nasty.  
  
"That's the best news I heard all day." she smiled.  
  
she decided later that she regretted those words, as the water she bathed in was barely above freezing. it made her scalp tingle as she scrubbed the mud out. it was the dirtiest she'd been in a long time, but it was also the quickest shower she'd taken in a long time as well. she hurriedly scrubbed all the mud from her body, and overjoyed to finally be out of that shower, she jumped out and dried off, dressing in the clothing that was laid out for her. big surprise, it was shorts and a belly shirt. they'd sense enough to give her socks, however, and she quickly scrubbed her boots clean before placing the boots on.  
  
~god~ she realized, looking in the mirror. ~i still look like lara.~  
  
she shrugged the thought off and brushed through her hair, a process that didn't seem to want to happen. finally it was halfway decent and she emerged from the bathing room.  
  
"I trust the water was warm enough for your liking?" a servant suddenly approached her. "I heard you weren't used to this cold so I raised the temperature."  
  
"yes." she lied. he'd RAISED the temperature? if the water had been any colder, she'd have been knocked unconscious by blocks of ice! "it was fine."  
  
the man smiled happily and motioned down the stairs. "care to eat before you go?"  
  
"I shall be insulted if you refuse" the man that'd greeted her before suddenly came into view. this time he was void of the two females. Krista was glad. those two girls were like automatons, they looked almost exactly alike.  
  
"then I shall accept, so as not to insult you." Krista winked curtsying a bit. she may be an adventuress, but she was still a Princess and knew how to be civilized.  
  
"My name is Stephen" he greeted finally bowing with a nod of his head. but there was also a twinkling in his eye that worried Krista a bit.  
  
"I am Krista." she returned, giving another curtsy.  
  
"quite the Manners." Stephen observed, noting how civil Krista was acting.  
  
"I was raised properly." was the only answer she gave, calm as it was.  
  
they walked down to the dining hall, where it seemed everyone had been cleared out for the dinner. they spoke during the dinner, about Kingdoms and the world above and below ground. after a few hours Krista looked at her watch and realized how late it was.  
  
"I'm sorry." she began as she realized it was nearly daybreak. "but I really should return to the surface."  
  
"Of course." Stephen returned, standing up. "I shall show you a exit to the surface, you may also use it to return, which I expect you will at some time in the near future?"  
  
"Yes." she promised, although not sure how much meaning she gave the promise. "I shall."  
  
She emerged from the surface about an hour later, just in time to see the sun coming over the Manor. the exit to the surface was right at the edge of the clearing in the front!  
  
She entered the Manor, carrying a bag that contained her guns/belt, gloves and backpack. Her father was pacing a spot near where he'd been when she'd walked out.  
  
"Krista!" he shouted, rushing up to her and wrapping his arms around her in a hug that was so tight Krista could barely breathe. "where were you?" 


	5. Truth is a Tricky Animal to Hunt

Authors note:  
  
all of the House elves mentioned in this story are my idea...so don't try to steal Arkie from me without my approval. I may be forced to string you up by your cuticles over a vat of boiling marmalade.  
  
once again, I only own a couple things of this story, such as Krista, the kingdom of ice, and the whole freaky thing about the spiders...although if you want the spider thing, I'll happily give it to you...that's one of the very few things I've given Krista that I also have...I HATE spiders. but thankfully I've never been...well, read this chapter and you'll understand.  
  
please don't sue me, all I have is a Guitar, and a Cat named T.G.  
  
as always, please R&R, note that flames are used for the sole purpose of heating that little space i have to sit in at work, which is really bloody cold; right near the doors...hope you enjoy the continuing story!  
  
  
  
Slowly and cautiously, Krista Explained her miniature adventure with her father. she told about the muck, the tunnel, *although she left out the part about the spiders*, the fall into the ice cave, and then the Kingdom of ice people. several times her fathers eyes lit up as though wanting to make a question or comment, but he held his tongue and listened.  
  
then, when Krista had finished, he began with the most important question he could think of.  
  
"you must have been freaked out over something." he deduced. "after all, you're Krista Snape, you know better then to run through a pitch black cave. or shall we accredit it to a momentary loss of sanity?"  
  
Krista stared blankly at her father. "what?"  
  
"your falling. the first one makes sense. but the second one doesn't match up. you were being Careless, what was going on?"  
  
Krista blushed a deep Crimson red. "actually, it was the thought of Spiders."  
  
"spiders?"  
  
"yes...I've always had a fear of Spiders...well...ever since those caves in Texas." she blushed even deeper red.  
  
"why? what happened?" Snape asked intently.  
  
"I was exploring this cave in Texas... when I felt a strange tickle on the back of my neck. at first I thought it was just my pony tail...until I felt a tugging. there was a spider crawling on my pony tail. but not just any spider, a tarantula. there was another one on my right boot, the small of my back, my left shoulder, and my chest. I hadn't felt any of them, because I was wearing my jacket."  
  
"you were wearing a Jacket in Texas?"  
  
"the desert is cold at night. especially underground." Krista defended. "anyway ever since then I've been deathly afraid of those crawling little...things." she gave an involuntary shudder.  
  
what followed was an uneasy silence, although the reason for which eluded both of them.  
  
"Ahem" Snape began by clearing his throat. "I have some...Er...Associates coming over today, and I think it best if you made yourself scarce between two and six."  
  
"The Death Eaters?" Krista pressed suddenly, trying hard not to make it sound like an interrogation.  
  
"Yes. the Death Eaters." Snape once again decided it best not to look in Krista's eyes. "They're going to want to know if I've told you about...who you are."  
  
"and if you say you haven't?"  
  
"they'll probably come looking for you and find their own way to tell you. it wouldn't be the best of scenarios; as they would be angry Voldemort saved your life only for you not to serve him. even though they know you have no choice in the matter." he replied.  
  
"Excuse me?" Krista was dumbfounded. "No choice?"  
  
"None." Snape replied, running his hand over his slicked black hair, reminding himself he needed to shampoo it soon. "there were tests, before Voldemorts' fall...and it was discovered, if he orders you to do something, you've no choice but to respond."  
  
"Oh that's nice." Krista looked at her watch. it was nearly 8 am. "well, before they get here, I'm going to go....do...something."  
  
Ignoring the confused look on his face, Krista walked into the Library, pulled one of the Huge dark leather bound books from the shelf, and disappeared down a corridor.  
  
Snape wasn't....too worried. he may not know his daughter like most fathers know their daughters, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't try anything...stupid.  
  
Sighing, he looked around the main hall, and for the first time in his life, it struck him how dark and morbid it looked. the first Snape Manor hadn't been Morbid. it had been light and friendly. of course, not friendly as in flowers on the table and smiley faced bouncing balls strewn across the yard...but friendly none the less.  
  
but that was before. god it seemed an eternity since then. since that night... the night the death eaters tore his life into pieces. along with any childhood innocence he had previously possessed. this was before Krista was born. but not too long. Snape had made the mistake of spending time with his wife in Germany *as secret as the marriage was* instead of answering the sudden burn on his left arm. when he'd returned to the Manor, the Death Eaters were just leaving. all of the Manor going up in flames. His sister...Father and Mother had all been inside. and it was his fault. if only he'd gone to that damned meeting.  
  
Sickened with himself, he walked over to a window that was closed with heavy black drapes and tore the drapes down, ripping the pole down as well.  
  
he ignored the mess of drapery and the pole on the floor, and walked over to another window, repeating the process.  
  
"how many damned windows do we have in this Manor?" he asked no one in particular as he repeatedly tore down the drapes until the main hall was bathed in sunlight. then he moved into the dining hall, ignoring the hordes of house-elves that had suddenly appeared to clean up the mess. although out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of them, holding an exceptional amount of drapery...his ability to do such was accredited to his extra pair of arms.  
  
he tore off all of the drapery in the dining hall as well, then he went to the library.  
  
"a whole ruddy wall of windows?" he asked to the same non-existent person he'd asked to earlier. "I never noticed."  
  
Finally, tired of pulling down drapery, and ignoring the houseelves, Snape dropped down onto a huge couch in the Library and looked out the window. outside the trees were dead, and the ground was as well.  
  
he opened the window, took his wand out from his robes, and aimed it at the ground.  
  
"FERTILIS!" he boomed, and instantly the ground went from a parched looking black, to a fertile-looking dark brown.  
  
"PRODUCTUM FRUX!" he bellowed, aiming his wand now at the trees. instantly they went from dead, to an late spring-like. there were blossoms on the trees that would produce fruit, and those that didn't, exploded with life, leaves popping out of dead trees. it was like watching a time lapse movie, seeing the trees burst into life.  
  
part of him wanted to smile. the other part was somewhat disgusted.  
  
"Vatti?" Krista was suddenly at the door. "are you feeling okay?"  
  
"Huh? ah...yes...I'm fine." Snape replied, looking out at his view, trying hard not to blow up the tiny bird that suddenly landed in a nearby tree.  
  
"are you sure?" Krista asked, seeing the four armed elf lugging drapery from the room.  
  
"Just decided it was time for a bit of remodeling." he returned, suddenly tucking his wand into his robes to halt himself from blowing up the bird.  
  
"I figured if you would do remodeling, it would be something along the lines of decorating the main hall with dragon skulls" she smirked. "or enchanting the main entrance so if someone tries to come in, they'd see a giant snake coming straight at them."  
  
"no, just decided to lighten the atmosphere a little."  
  
"will your...friends...like that?"  
  
"I shall lead them to the dungeons. that way you have most of the house to yourself."  
  
"Dungeons?" Kristas' eyes suddenly sparked with the familiar adventuress Spirit.  
  
"Krista, not this time. they'll be here in just a few hours. it takes much longer then that to explore the dungeons. wait until they've gone." he knew he was wasting his breath. hopefully she wouldn't find the entrance.  
  
Krista nodded silently, then left the room again.  
  
Beside himself, he looked over to where the giant book shed taken belonged. it was in the area of 'herbs and ingredients'  
  
he shook his head, not knowing what she was up to, but deciding to give her space, he went upstairs, already regretting all the sunlight.  
  
he closed the door to his room and fell backwards onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. he wished he could get rid of Krista during the meeting. he knew as long as she was here, there'd be a death eater wanting to mess with her. Sighing, he continued to stare at the ceiling until someone suddenly rapped on the door.  
  
"Master? is master in his room?"  
  
"Yes Dulci." he returned "what is it?"  
  
"Dulci is wanting to tell Master that lunch is ready for the eating"  
  
"Thank you Dulci. is my daughter down there?"  
  
"Dulci and other elves are look for Mistress. but mistress is not in her room."  
  
"All right, I shall be down in a moment." Snape replied, then a familiar sneer crossed his face. "damn. that means only two hours left before the fun begins." silently his mind begged whatever supernatural force that was keeping everyone alive that Krista wouldn't meet the death eaters.  
  
he stood to his feet, and crossed the room. when he opened the door, he was surprised at the amount of sunlight flooding the Manor. it was almost as though he'd forgotten about tearing down the Drapery.  
  
Snape made his way down to the Dining hall, his mind racing with all sorts of thoughts and questions.  
  
What would he do if the death eaters demanded to see Krista? What could Krista be doing with that book? and why the hell did he take the drapery down? the sunlight was giving him a headache. as if he didn't have enough on his mind as it was, his bloody mind had to get a HEADACHE.  
  
he was silently cursing as he entered the hall and took his seat. apparently the elves either hadn't found her yet, or they'd found her but hadn't made it to the hall yet. Soon Krista followed by about ten elves; entered the dining hall. while Krista took her seat, the elves vanished, off to do more cleaning or what not.  
  
"might I ask where you have been?" he suddenly asked, with a bit of a backbone.  
  
"I was in the woods." came her quick reply.  
  
"any particular reason?"  
  
"Not really." she stated, in a way that told him he shouldn't ask any more. there was no way anyone was going to intimidate him, least of which his daughter.  
  
"Were you looking for something?" he pressed. he was going to find out what she was looking for.  
  
"Nothing In particular."  
  
"As humorous and Tedious as it is to play this game of words with you, where you only change the words your using, but never you answer, I would actually prefer an actual response out of you." he stated, the familiar hiss of Severus Snape returning to his voice.  
  
"you are receiving an actual response." she replied, looking down at her food. " I was not looking for anything."  
  
"Don't try to go invisible at the meeting this evening." Snape warned. "I know that there is a herb in these woods that causes invisibility when the potion is properly made. however I would recommend you don't bother, because you would be discovered."  
  
Krista didn't move, didn't acknowledge that her father had spoken.  
  
he sighed. "Do you understand me?"  
  
"Yes. Sir." she replied, looking him straight in the eyes, blue eyes flashing maliciously.  
  
Then she stood up. "I have lost my appetite. I shall see you after the death eaters have gone, Herr Vater."  
  
she left Snape in the room, wondering whether or not he should have said anything.  
  
Krista walked up to her room silently. as she entered the room, she noticed that the elves had cleaned her backpack, gloves, and everything else that'd been sopping in mud.  
  
she silently tossed herself onto the bed, and stared at the ceiling.  
  
~he thinks I need invisibility to monitor the proceedings?~ she thought, reverting back to German for comfort. ~ I don't need invisibility. I'm Krista! I've spied on proceedings for years. as if a silly group of death eaters will be any difficulty.~  
  
with that, she hugged her pillow and drifted off to sleep. 


	6. Mask vs Snake

PAIN! excruciating, undeniable pain burst through every nerve ending in the young fourteen year old's left arm. the pain was so intense, so unexpected, that the young woman tensed up and fell off the bed. normally she would find this ridiculous, but seeing as she was in too much pain to even remember her name, she didn't particularly care about falling off the bed. ~come to me, child of the dark Lord.~ a voice.....evil, sinister, full of superiority and pride. a chilling voice. ~come to me~ Krista found herself standing up, although she was sure she hadn't given herself the command to do so. now walking from her room, then through the hallway, down the stairs, into the lobby, where a large number of masked men stood. one stood at the front, beckoning her to him. "yes child of the dark Lord, come to me. Serve me until our Master Rises again." "I will serve" Krista found herself Saying, without wanting to. "Only the Dark Lord. you have no power over me." "I disagree" the man spat. "I was trusted second to Him. until he returns, you belong to me." unable to control her speech or actions, Krista could feel something strange pulsing through her. a power she couldn't understand, so powerful she wasn't sure she could survive it if it lasted much longer. ~I belong to the Master alone~ the words, snake-like in sound: shot from Krista's mouth involuntary. ~I will serve only the Dark Lord. provoke me again, and you will not live to see the next sunrise~ "YOU WILL SERVE ME!!" the man bellowed, anger and hate in his voice. the power swelled up inside Krista even more, before erupting from her chest in the same shadow of a snake that had been in the vision. it struck the man with lightening speed, sinking smoky fangs deep into the mans neck. in a flash the snake was back in Krista's body, the pulsing of power slowing slightly, before speaking again. ~I will serve only the Dark Lord.~ the snake inside her expressed simply. ~anyone who tries to force me to serve them, will face the same fate~ as though waiting for the final word of her sentence, then man who'd been bitten, burst into flame and perished in an instant. after a moment, Krista could control her own body again. clasping her hands to her chest in surprise, she stared at the group, trying to regain her composure. trying to act as though that were a normal occurrence, she smirked at the room full of men. "anyone else want me to serve them?" she paused for a moment. "no? well then I'll be returning to my room. Gute Nacht." she stated, before turning around and heading back upstairs. hopefully, no one else would try to mess with her. Krista walked slowly back to her room, not paying any attention to anything around her. she was lost in thought. The power inside her had protected her. and yet, she knew it was an evil power. ~There is no good or evil~ a voice from within her chest hissed. ~only power, and those too weak to seek it.~ "Good and evil exist." Krista argued. "I will never be evil." ~Then you will do good by serving the Master.~ the voice hissed. "I will only serve this 'master' until i find a way to stop him from controlling me." Krista Spat. suddenly, her muscles locked up as the power began to surge again. ~i can control you~ the voice sneered. ~but i allow you to choose. Soon you must choose between obeying willing, or simply obeying. there is no overpowreing Lord Voldemort. there is only obeying him, or death." 


End file.
